Reversal of Fortune
by yunakitty
Summary: Poor Ashton. He's had bad luck his entire life. Cursed, clumsy, and awkward. Who would could ever love him?  Well, someone quite surprising. Yaoi, one-shot.


**Author's Note: This is dedicated to eltaire's lovely Let's Play of Star Ocean The Second Story on Youtube. I have been wanting to write a story for Dias for some time, but couldn't think of a good pairing for him. Eltaire suggested Ashton, and this was quickly born! It kills two birds with one stone really, because I've always wanted to write something for Ashton, but no pairing ever made sense. So, anyway, please read and review, and check out his channel on Youtube!**

Ashton pushed the hair out of his eyes, and stepped through the gates of Mars Town. He was there to meet Celine. Several months had passed since they had "saved the world", and he had been staying in Herlie, enjoying the peace they had brought on. But then he had received correspondence from Celine, saying that she had unearthed an ancient tome describing how to remove demons from oneself without destroying said demons.

Ashton was intrigued. He had once had the opportunity to expunge Gyoro and Ururun from his body, but he couldn't go through with it, as it meant their total destruction. Sharing a connected body with them had linked him into their thoughts and fears, and he had realized that they were just as worthy of life as he was. So he had resigned himself to an existence with them riding his shoulders.

But this - this was a real chance. Even though he found their constant companionship entertaining and somewhat comforting to his usually lonely existence, he knew that in order to live a normal life, he must separate himself from them. So he headed for Mars as soon as he got the letter.

Celine was waiting for him at her parents' house, and eagerly showed him the book in question. Sure enough, it seemed like the genuine thing. At any rate, it was worth a shot. He thanked his friend sincerely, and headed out of the house.

Ashton blinked as he entered the bright sunlight of the early afternoon, and then looked down at the dusty manuscript he held. It said that he must go to the Cross Cave and seek out a holy talisman hidden there. He swallowed hard. He had heard many stories from Celine, Rena, and Claude, about the terrors they had faced in that cave. And now he was to enter it alone. He almost turned around, to ask Celine for help, when he heard a deep, familiar voice. "...Ashton?"

Ashton looked around, and was very surprised to see Dias Flac standing not far away. "Oh, it's Dias!" he said, and hurried forward. He stumbled on a bit of loose walkway, but managed to catch himself before he fell. He stood before Dias, very red in the face, but happy to see his old comrade.

Ashton was afraid that Dias would laugh at his stumble, but Dias's face remained impassive and composed, as always. The man's long silver hair was pulled in a loose ponytail, and he still wore his usual battle clothes, probably out of habit more than anything else. His long sword was sheathed on his hip. "What brings you to Mars?" Dias asked.

"Oh, Celine gave me this book about exorcising Gyoro and Ururun," he said excitedly. Gyoro and Ururun began to whine and nip at Ashton's ears. "Hey! Hey! Guys! I don't mean exorcise exactly. Just... to separate us."

Gyoro and Ururun still made noise and fussed. "What!" Ashton cried, exasperated. "I can't live with you guys on my shoulders forever!" Gyoro gave a long howl, and Ururun wept noisily. "I'll still visit you, even if we're separated," Ashton promised, and the dragons were appeased slightly.

Ashton turned his attention back on Dias, and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it's always like this..."

"I know," Dias said, looking up at the tall pine trees that surrounded them. "We traveled for quite a while together, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course I remember." Ashton scratched the back of his head and his face went a bit red. "Well, anyway. What are you here for?"

Dias shrugged carelessly. "Just killing time," he said. "Nothing better to do."

"Well, if you're not busy, want to come with me to Cross Cave?" Ashton joked.

"Sure."

Ashton blinked rapidly, completely surprised at this turn of events. "Um, what? Did you say yes?"

Dias looked annoyed. "Do you want my help or not? Don't joke about these things."

"Oh! Oh! Yes, I do want your help, really!" Ashton said earnestly. "Honestly, I was a bit scared about going in alone. So if you'll go with me, that would be awesome."

"Well, then, let's get equipped and head out," Dias said.

Ashton nodded, and the two of them visited the shop in town to buy supplies. Then they set out for Cross Cave, arriving just as the sun was beginning to set. "So you think we should wait until tomorrow?" Ashton said doubtfully. "It's getting dark out."

Dias shrugged. "It'll be dark one way or another in the cave," he explained logically.

"Oh, you're right," Ashton replied sheepishly. A torch was lit, and they made their way inside. Ashton consulted the map again and again, yet the two men seemed to be going in circles. Finally, with a disgruntled snort, Dias snatched the whole book from Ashton and consulted it at length by firelight. Ashton fidgeted nervously, until eventually Dias nodded, and pointed to the northeast. They began tramping that way, and within fifteen minutes, they were at a strange altar.

"This is it! This is where the talisman is supposed to be!" Ashton cried, running forward. He examined the altar carefully, then pressed his hand into a smooth indentation on the surface. The whole altar shook and began to sink into the ground. "Oh no! What did I do?" Ashton fretted anxiously. "Did I break it?"

"Be calm. I think that was supposed to happen," Dias told him.

"Oh." Ashton fell silent, and watched as the altar disappeared entirely. In the dust that remained, there was a bright sparkling, and after a few moments of hesitation, the unlucky man stepped forward and boldly picked up what was glittering in the shadows. He turned the talisman over in his hands a few times, then turned to Dias and asked for the book.

Dias handed it over, and Ashton scanned a few lines of text with his eyes. Then he began to speak, vocalizing the incantations written there. There was a steady humming, and then the room began glowing. Ashton stepped back suddenly, and cried out in pain as his whole body seared with heat.

When the glow subsided, he fell to his knees. It took him a few minutes to realize that his shoulders felt strangely light. He turned his head, and gasped when he saw nothing there. "Gyoro? Ururun?" he asked tremulously.

"Yes, we are all right..." the answer came quickly, inside his head. "We thank you greatly, Ashton. For all you have done for us. We are back in the Salva Drift, and there is now a protective barrier which will hopefully keep intruders out, and prevent another catastrophe. But we will never forget you, and we hope you live a wonderful life. Thank you again... Ashton."

"Gyoro! Ururun..." Ashton said softly. He felt relieved to be free of the curse, but strangely lonely. He stood for several minutes, staring into space, and then he turned slowly to go.

He was almost surprised to see Dias there. In all the commotion, he had almost forgotten his comrade. "Well, I'm free," Ashton said haltingly.

"Yes, I see. Congratulations." Dias smiled in a surprisingly warm way, and Ashton blinked a few times before smiling back.

"I can't thank you enough for coming with me," Ashton said. "I never would have made it here without your help." He blushed in embarrassment. "I'm not the best at reading maps..."

"Apparently not." Dias chuckled, and then gestured towards the exit. "Let's head out?"

"S-Sure," Ashton replied.

From there, Cross was the closest town, so Ashton and Dias walked there in the dark. When they arrived, the only places open were the bar and the hotel. They made their way into the bar, and ordered dinner and a couple of pints of beer to celebrate Ashton's new-found freedom.

"Wow. I can't believe this," Ashton said with an uncertain air. He sipped his ale quickly to appease his nervousness. He didn't really know what to say to Dias now. Sure, they had traveled together, but they had been in a large group. The two men had never really spent any time together alone.

And honestly, Ashton found Dias very attractive. He hated himself for it, because what would a renowned warrior like Dias want with a walking disaster like himself? It was a foolish crush. He had been slightly comforted by the fact that some of their other companions seemed to feel an undeniable attraction to the taciturn man. Celine was always extra charming whenever Dias was around, not that the man ever seemed to notice. And Rena had acted positively stupid sometimes when it came to Dias. Ashton had been more surprised than he could imagine when after the final battle, Rena and Claude announced that they were going to travel together. Ashton had always thought that Rena was desperately in love with Dias, but apparently, it was some sort of big brother/little sister thing they had going on.

But despite that, there was no denying that Celine had been attracted to Dias. Remembering that made Ashton feel not as bad about his own stupid attraction, but at the same time, he felt horribly jealous of Celine. Even if Dias had never paid her any attention, she still had a hundred times more chance of capturing Dias's interest than Ashton had. Ashton sulked and frowned down in his beer.

"What's wrong? Do you miss your dragons?" Dias asked, his voice breaking through Ashton's quiet private gloom. Ashton was startled. He hadn't realized he'd just been sitting there completely silent for who knows how long. He panicked as he worried that the man knew exactly what he had been thinking about, and he made a flailing gesture in an attempt to distract from the whole awkward situation.

His hand flew wide, and he tipped his mug of beer over. "Shit!" he cried. Dias's reflexes were top notch, and he sprang up and away from the table, avoiding the deluge of ale. Ashton wasn't quite so quick, and got some all over his pants.

The barmaid was there in a flash, mopping up the mess. Ashton apologized and cursed his own clumsiness. He glanced at Dias, embarrassed, and half expected the man to excuse himself from the situation entirely, and avoid Ashton for the rest of his life.

But much to his relief, the handsome man merely regained his seat as soon as the barmaid was finished cleaning up. She restored a fresh mug of ale to Ashton, with the playful admonition to "be careful with this one, honey!" Ashton nodded sheepishly and held on firmly to the handle.

Ashton looked up at Dias, who was calmly drinking his own beverage. "S-Sorry about that. God, I don't know what's wrong with me..."

"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with you."

Ashton blinked in astonishment. "But I'm a clumsy oaf..." he muttered.

"Everyone has faults," Dias said, shrugging.

Ashton laughed weakly. "_You_ don't have any faults."

Dias stirred in his chair, crossing his legs. "Sure I do," he said slowly. He smiled wryly. "Rena tells me that I can be a bit heartless, and rude."

"Yeah, but..." Ashton fingered his mug. "That's different. People overlook that kind of thing. They don't overlook clumsiness."

"Don't be so sure," Dias responded. "I'm sure many people would consider you a better person than me."

"H-How so?"

"Well, you are kind-hearted. That's a trait anyone can appreciate."

"Yeah, but... I mean, come on. I know I'm just a mess," Ashton mumbled. "Kind-hearted or not, I'm just a stupid, stumbling oaf."

"Not at all," Dias said firmly, surprising Ashton. "On the contrary, you always held your own in all the battles we faced."

"Ah... I guess you're right," Ashton conceded. Indeed, it had always been him, Rena, Dias, and Claude, battling the monsters together. Rena cast back up spells while the three arms specialists handled the up close and personal combat.

Ashton smiled appreciatively at Dias, and the man gave a half smile back and ordered two more mugs of beer. The night went on pleasantly, with many reminiscences about the adventures they had been through. After several more rounds, the two men stumbled towards the inn. "We need a room for the night," Ashton slurred, leaning heavily on the counter.

Rena's aunt Rachel eyed them mirthfully. "Yes sir," she said promptly. "One room. Have a good night." She handed over a key with the room number 110 on it.

Ashton accepted it, and they staggered down the hallway. "This one, I think," Dias said, pointing at a door. It was emblazoned with the numbers "110", so they tried the key, and of course it fit. Inside they went, closing the door behind them.

"Oh good, a biiiiiig bed," Ashton said, diving onto the king sized bed. "I've always wanted to sleep on one of these."

"Get off. That's my bed," Dias argued.

"No, I saw it first," Ashton insisted. He peered across the room. "You can sleep on that one." He pointed in the corner.

"That is an armchair," Dias complained.

"Oh, damn," Ashton snorted. "It looked like a bed from here." He laughed. "Well, this bed is big enough, I'll share," he said, and then tittered somewhat uneasily.

"Fine, that's fair," Dias responded. He removed his armor and laid it aside, then crawled up on the bed with Ashton.

"Um..." Ashton fidgeted a bit. "Are we really going to share a bed?"

"Is there a problem?" Dias asked. "The bed's plenty big for both of us."

"Y-Yeah..." Ashton agreed after some hesitation.

Dias blinked a few times, chuckled, and then smiled wickedly. "What? Haven't you ever shared a bed with anyone before?"

"N-No..." Ashton admitted.

"How old are you?" Dias asked, amused.

"T-Twenty two..." Ashton stammered.

"And you've never shared a bed with anyone?"

"No! Is that such a horrible thing?" Ashton looked terribly embarrassed.

"No, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's just... interesting."

"I don't see why," Ashton huffed. He folded his arms over his chest and tried to regain some of his dignity. "I mean, who would want to sleep with me? I had dragons attached to me!"

"But you didn't always, right? That was only the last year or so. What about before that?"

"Um... uh..." Ashton played with his hands. "Well... even before Gyoro and Ururun... well, I've never been what they call, um, normal."

"And why not?" Dias reclined on the bed, holding his head up with one hand.

"Because... b-because I'm so clumsy," Ashton sputtered out. "No one would want to be with such a ... such a moron." He clapped a hand over his face and groaned.

"So..." Dias stretched out fully, propping up on the pillows. "You're a virgin, then?"

"Well, of course I am!" Ashton blustered. "Isn't that obvious?"

"No, I wouldn't think it was obvious. After all, you're very attractive."

Ashton felt as if his heart would explode. Had he just heard that right? Did Dias Flac, the great Dias Flac, the great, incredibly sexy Dias Flac, just call HIM attractive? "Ex-excuse me?" he asked, his face still partially covered by his hand.

Dias chuckled. "What? Have I scared you?"

"N-No, I just... wow..." Ashton let go of his face and exhaled slowly, then began picking at the hem of his tunic. "I just never would have thought someone like you would think I was..." His cheeks became adorably pink.

"What do you mean, someone like me? A man?"

"No, not that..." Ashton managed to lift his head slightly, and he peeked at Dias out of the corner of his eye. "Somebody so... so hot."

Dias chuckled again. "Ah. So you think I'm... _hot_?"

"W-Well, yeah," Ashton admitted. "I always have..." He squirmed a little and bit his lip.

"What's so hot about me? Is it my hair?" At that, Dias ran a hand through the silky locks. "My rugged face? Or my body?" And with that, he removed his shirt and smirked.

Ashton's face was beet red now, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Dias's perfectly sculpted chest. "A-All of it..." he stammered.

"I see."

Ashton struggled to speak. "And wh-what's so attractive about me?" The corner of his mouth twitched. It was crazy to be asking, but he really wanted to hear more.

"Well..." Dias leaned forward, and reached out. Ashton shuddered hard and closed his eyes as Dias's finger traced the line of his mouth. "You've got very nice lips."

"O-Oh? D-Do I?" Ashton faltered, feeling as if he would pass out from sheer happiness. He let out a little moan as Dias's hand slid down his neck and to his chest.

"And I can tell you have a nice body under there..." Dias said, smiling wickedly. "Can I see?" He lifted up the edge of Ashton's top.

Ashton's eyes fluttered open. "S-Sure..." he stammered. With Dias's help, he removed his shirt. It certainly was easier without a couple of dragons attached. Then he sat before Dias, breathing heavily, his eyes half lidded, as Dias ate him up hungrily with his eyes.

"Yes, I was right," Dias chuckled. He reached out and caressed Ashton's leanly muscled abdomen. "Very nice."

"A-A-Ah..." Ashton breathed brokenly. A bead of sweat trickled down his face, and he felt himself getting even more aroused than he had thought possible.

This didn't escape Dias's attention. "Ah. I see you like this," he commented, and Ashton followed his gaze downwards.

He clapped his hands over his lap, trying in vain to hide the erection that was tenting up his pants rather noticeably. "Oh! Damn it!" he cried, cursing himself.

Dias took him suddenly by one wrist, pulling it away. Ashton gasped as Dias guided it to his own groin. "I like it too," he said, rather unnecessarily, as Ashton's hand was pressed up against his huge, throbbing member.

"Ohhhh..." Ashton moaned. He felt as if he would melt, he was so hot and worked up.

Dias smirked and leaned in, bringing his face in close to Ashton's. "What would you do if I kissed you?" he whispered.

"I... I don't know..." Ashton whimpered helplessly.

"Would you like it?"

"Oh, yes..." Ashton breathed. He gave a happy, muffled moan as Dias crushed their mouths together. Dias's lips were surprisingly soft, and Ashton reached out, encircling his neck with his arms. They kissed breathlessly for several seconds, then Dias parted his lips and slipped his tongue into Ashton's mouth.

Ashton groaned into the kiss, falling back on the bed as Dias laid on top of him, pressing their bodies together. Their hot, bare chests smashed against each other, and Ashton's nipples got hard from the sensation. Dias used one arm to hold himself up, while the other was busy unfastening Ashton's pants.

Ashton turned his head to the side, freeing himself from the kiss so he could cry out as Dias's strong, warm fingers wrapped around his manhood. Dias kissed his neck as he stroked slowly, then his kisses began to make a trail south. Ashton watched breathlessly as Dias kissed down his chest and stomach, then his head hovered over Ashton's cock.

Dias looked up, locking eyes with Ashton as his tongue snaked out, making contact with the head of Ashton's member. Ashton screamed in pleasure, then covered his mouth with his hand and bit it to keep from screaming again as Dias continued to bathe him with his tongue.

"Oh, God..." Ashton managed to moan a few moments later. "That... That's... Oh, God..." His head fell back, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he got lost in the ecstasy.

Dias simply smirked, taking the head into his mouth and sucking it. Ashton cried out again, his whole body shaking. "I... I... ohhhhhhh! Dias! Oh! Oh! Oh!" He let out a low wail as he climaxed suddenly, pushing his hips upwards to maximize the sensation.

Dias licked up the last traces of cum, and rose up slightly. "Oh God..." Ashton moaned. "I'm... sorry... so fast... I just... nobody's ever..." he rambled incoherently. He put a hand over his face and mussed up the front of his chestnut colored hair. "Wow..." he sighed happily, and closed his eyes.

But his eyes flew open as he suddenly felt Dias removing his pants, and then the man's hands on the underside of his thighs, pushing them up. He looked down, seeing that silver head moving downwards again, even lower this time, and he screamed out as Dias's tongue made contact with his entrance. "Oh! Oh! What... oh!" Ashton was rendered incapable of saying more than one syllable at a time as Dias pleasured him in ways he had never even imagined.

That skilled tongue pushed its way inside, probing the tight space and making Ashton cry out in ecstasy even more. Dias continued rimming him, on and on, until Ashton was practically a puddle on the bed. Then, the silver haired man rose up, his eyes half lidded as he began to unfasten his pants. Ashton watched with ragged breath as Dias revealed his rigid, dripping cock. "Make me wet," Dias commanded of him, and Ashton scrambled up, hastening to comply.

He had never done it before, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what had to be done. He wrapped a hand around Dias's cock, and then took it inside his mouth, sucking at the head. Dias groaned in desire and thrust into his mouth, making him take more. Ashton moaned, his mouth so full, but did his best to pleasure Dias like the man had pleasured him.

But to his surprise, Dias gently pushed him away by the shoulder, and urged him back onto his back. Ashton worried that he hadn't done a good job, until Dias began centering himself between Ashton's thighs, taking himself in hand and rubbing the head of his cock against Ashton's tingling, wet portal.

"Ahhhh..." Ashton moaned, as Dias insistently pressed into him.

"Relax," Dias rasped out, and Ashton tried his best. He screamed out as Dias penetrated him with one swift thrust. "Oh God!" Dias groaned. "Ashton!"

The pain that Ashton was feeling was quickly swept away by hearing Dias utter his name in such rapture. "Dias," he moaned back.

"You're so tight... and so hot..." Dias groaned happily. "I've never felt anything so wonderful."

"Oh God," Ashton whimpered, throwing his arms around Dias's neck and holding on as Dias pounded into him. He felt himself getting hard again, as if he was swelling from the inside out. "Mmm... ohhhh..." he moaned, pushing his hips up at Dias to meet each downward thrust.

"Oh, yes..." Dias hissed. "Yes! Oh, God, Ashton! I'm... going to cum..." he said in halting gasps. "Can I... cum inside of you?"

"Oh, yes, please..." Ashton moaned back. He reached down and stroked himself rapidly as Dias gave a mighty roar of satisfaction and exploded deep inside of him. Ashton wailed happily and joined him in rapture, spurting out between his own fingers and onto his abdomen.

Dias groaned in pleasure and sank down onto him, nuzzling his neck and breathing deeply. Ashton hugged his back, wrapping his thighs around his waist as Dias carefully removed himself from inside. They held each other, and then Dias lifted his head, finding Ashton's mouth and kissing it languidly. Ashton murmured happily and returned the kiss.

After a brief clean up, they slipped under the covers, tangling their limbs up together and resuming their kiss. Dias pulled back slightly and looked into Ashton's eyes, making the younger man blush. "So... I was your first time."

"Yes..." Ashton breathed back.

"I'm very glad that I was," Dias told him.

"Me too," Ashton agreed, sighing happily.

"Shall we continue to travel together?"

"Yes, please," came Ashton's prompt reply, and their lips met once more.


End file.
